Parenting The Sequel
It is amazing how different children's personalities can be within one family and what is effective in rearing them. My first child was easy, in hindsight, we fed him, changed diapers, and he slept through the night from an early age. My second child; however, could not have been more different.
For starters the differences in food preferences has been wildly varied. My first born wanted to try all of the food group including meats, vegetables, and fruits. He seemed to enjoy the variety of flavors as he grew. Our second child was the complete opposite, getting him to try something new was almost impossible. About the only meat he would eat was plain pureed chicken but it could not have additives like rice or carrots. Vegetables did not seem to fit into his idea of what constitutes a meal and he wanted no part of them. We were occasionally slip some bland pureed vegetables within, but most of the time he knew they were there and refused to eat. Then we introduced fruits and it could not have gone any better, of course, he downed anything and everything sweet to eat.
Second, the difference in personalities was enormous as well. Our first child only cried when he was hungry or dirty, the rest of the time he smiled and laughed and played. Now our second child, on the other hand, seemed to be mad at the world from birth. If wanted all of our time and attention and nothing less would suffice. It did not matter if we were standing or sitting right next to him, he wanted to be held and sung to constantly. As the boys entered the terrible two's, they handled these years quite differently. Our oldest son did a flip, and became attention seeking and loud. He would hit or kick his brother just to get a rise out of us. He was no longer the quiet baby that he once was. He seemed to enjoy causing pain to his younger sibling. Our youngest on the other hand, became a mommy's boy and rarely left my side. He would cry at the drop of a hat and his feeling were hurt on occasion when he got into trouble.
Our boys could not be more different in every way, but as they grow we continue to appreciate their individual strengths and weaknesses. Their personalities change daily it seems both in good and bad ways, but there is never a dull moment between the two. Having children is the most beautiful an infuriating life experience a person can have.
